The Southland Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 656, 12 April 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1867.

Business was entirely suspended in town yesterday, it being the Presbyterian^ half-yearly fast. Throughout, the day the streets presented Tery much the appearance they do on the Sabbath. Numerous parties were, however, to be Men in the morning with dog and gun^ .wending their w*y to one or other of the adjacent forest?! «on murderdus thoughts intent." Still, the religous body who regard the day as sacred, and in respect of whose , the genera^ public close their places of business, 'could not complain of having their feelings. in any way outraged. -On the contrary, they must feel much pleased at the degree of consideration •hown them by their fellow-townsmen of other denominations. We observe that an alteration has been made in the programme of the performances at the Theatre to-night. "Villikins and his Dinah" being made the opening, initead of the closing piece, as at first announced by us. While "Ye Lord Lovel and ye Lady Nancy Bell" has been •übstituted for the piece originally occupying the head of.the_bill. _ We think thealteration an improvement. Both pieces have.been played by the dub before, but, as a good story is none the worse for being twice told, so a good play is better appreciated as it becomes familiar to us. We doubt not the audience will find it so this evening. We must not omit to mention the selections from Trovatore, by Mr Bolfe. This gentleman if a new arrival, and from what we have heard of him, we expect a treat is in store for lovers of music. Mr Wqtton reads some humorous ■ketches from "Artemus Ward." The orchestra will, we understand, muster in force, and will be under the direotionof Mr H. Lloyd. We trust the weather may prove propitious. It will be seen from our advertising columns that the Provincial Government have -decided on disposing of sundry propertiesi comparatively useless for the purposes for which they were intended, but, no doubt/ valuable in the market at present, considering-that-timber-has had an upward tendency recently.. We allude to the Immigrants' Barracks at the Bluff, the Ferry house at the JHokomoko, arid about 1000 pieces of timber, cut for rails for the N&thern line, and : now laying in piles at Ryal and Winton Bushes. The whole have been placed in Mr Todd's hands, for sale at auction, and will be put up by him on the 17 th, 18th, and . 20th inst. respectively. .' ~ ~7 .".".' ... We are -requested to call attention to Mr Todd'i Cattle Sale at Wallacetown, on Tuesday aext. A.- very superior mob, consisting of about 40 head, principally young, are "already entered, and others are expected. A lot of prime cows are among the number. We also observe that MrTodd will *e- Bell, at the risk of former purchaser, the property known as the " Jolly Waggoners, on the Lake Road, on the 24th inst. The property is oner well worth the attention of small capitalists.' .-=--Sju»*kirtg i o£-the disallowance by the G-overnor of certain Ordinances passed at last session of the OtagO Provincial Council, the "Evening Star " says : — " The truth must be spoken. The prediction to which we lately gave utterance has been fulfilled even earlier than we anticipated. ♦The threatened interference with Provincial institutions has commenced. We now suffer the first results of the " swallowing " process j but it will be strange indeed if there be not sufficient vitality in us to balk the monster of his contemplated prey. Mesßieurs Stafford, Fitzherbert, and Richardson may rest assured that they will not find Otago an easy, nor a very palatable morsel to digest. . ........ . We are sorvy indeed that His Excellency, who has been loyally received and regally entertained here, should give his sanction to the despotic acts of his Executive, On them be all the blame ; yet, it will scarcely add to Sir George Grey's own reputation, if, having extinguished the Maori rebellion in the Worth, he permitß himself to become a, tool in the hands of any man, or set of men, who, for the satisfaction of their private malice, would not hesitate to incur the risk of exciting a more formidable European rebellion in the Sooth." We observe by the last " General Government <Haette," that some innooent persons have been prinjf St»B!» Duty «fcft»op t<> P*y &« postego on

Jefcters, thinking au s equivalent in value would do as well for postage in one stamp at in the other. But it is not bo ;: and tl-e jpostal authorities will not; recognise; Stamp Duty currency as postage. sThe unwaiy are, therefore, notified that letter* posted with such stamps will be' detained. Mr Yogel, leader of the Otago Executive and Provincial Treasurer, in ... addressing, a public meeting in Dunedin recently, is reported to have ■aid :— That morning there was < more than £50,000 in .the bank to. the credit , of . the trea-.. surer. He did not take credit to himself for this; he had only walked in the footsteps, of his. predecessor, Mr Moss, who recognised it as a v most advisable policy, that, in the face of the heavy engagements , tie Government . necessarily had, ft large balance should be kept... That policy enabled Mr Moss to leave to credit a,' sum. of j £30,000; and now.the'' amount was increased to £50,000. AUthe votes of the Provincial Council had been put in progress 'towards having effect given to them. It must not be supposed that the £50,000 balance was a sumfree for disposal, nor did he think it advisable that so large '■■ a sum ■hould be so kept 3 what he meant was* that the G-overnmenthav^g. large; liabilities for works in progress or under contract, .had the comfort also of knowing that it ha^ funds to meet thorn—instead, of, aB was the case not/long ago, haying liabilities, and hot knowing how they were to be met. . ...,,... ..... . - A correspondent signing himself "Scotland " thus writes to the " Lyttelton Times," under date the 18th ultimo :— Sir,— By last Suez mail from England I was astonished toi learn from a friend that a letter posted in a country town for Canterbury, via Panama, had been sent back from the G-eneral Post-office, London, a few days afterwards, with the statement " that letters were not forwarded to Canterbury, by that route." Such a statement, made by the G-eneral Post-office, will," if circulated at home, prevent people from taking advantage of the quickest and most direct line bf communication to this : colony. , :: Mr H. Beauchamp, one; of . the committee , of the kelbourn^ Immigrants' Home, writing to the "Argus," gives a sad picture of the condition of the poorer classes in Melbourne. He says :— from) my : own personal knowledge as a member of the committee of the Immigrants' Home, so called, I firmly believe there are many helpless women and more children who are actually on the verge of starvation in and ! about the poorer suburbs of Melbourne. I have just left our comriiittee, and we have been obliged to turn the most; destitute caßes from the doors of the institution for want of means to relieve them, the Immigrants.' Home being no exception to the whole of the charitable institutions 'in debt' to commence the' year with. 'I enclose a cheque for £5 for the Immigrants' Home, from Beauchamp and Kocke, as without some speedy help the institution will have to be closed. If there is not legislative; action taken quickly, and some more systematic; way; devised, of dealing with our poor, the coming winter will tell a sad tale." The Wellington "Independent," says :— " Evidently the Imperial authorities are in a terrible stew about the troops still in New, Zealand. Recent despatches from the Colonial Office reiterate the demand that the soldiers are to be sent home instantly, while his Excellency Sir George Grey is taken to task with more vigor than justice for not having carried out the instructions previously received." By the arrival of the Alabama from the Thames, We (" New Zealand Herald") learn that tho natives there are in a very unsettled state. The six Hau hau apostles were still there, and some of their followers had expressed their determination to shoot every European travelling across their country. Mr Thorpe had a narrow escape of his life the other day, as he would have been fired upon only for some of the natives recognising him as an old hand among them, and so prevented the murder. We (" Grey River Argus ") notice that the person at Hokitika against whom the first prosecution has been brought for a breach of the stamp Act, has been fined £50. The Magistrate said that the Act gave him no option but to inflict the full fine when the offence was proved. Mr Rees, for the defence, gave notice of appeal. It- will be remembered that the charge was for having given an 1.0. U. for above £5, without stamping it. Fifty pounds to pay for omitting to place a penny stamp should act as a caution to the-public. : It is said to be the intention of the Victorian Government to employ young ladies in the different telegraph offices scattered over the colony, % place of the present telegraph masters. The Queensland Government have offered a reward of £3,000 for the discovery of a goldfield ■in that colony, twenty miles from any known goldfield, and which shall have sustained a population of 3,000 for six . months before the reward "is" claimed. - .